a new beginning

Occupy Mars! Space Center Houston celebrates the momentous Curiosity landing andNASA's triumphant return

More than 1,000 fans stopped by Space Center Houston to watch theonce-in-a-lifetime event.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
One of the first images from Curiosity showing one of the rover's wheels infront of an extra-terrestrial horizon.
Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech
Guests, lined up to the left, had the chance to operate a remote-controlledrover through a simulation of the Martian landscpae.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
NASA's John Connelly led the evening as Curiosity made its descent.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
A model of Curiosity made its own descent at Space Center Houston when word camefrom mission control that the rover made a successful landing on Mars.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Curiosity, shown here in a digital rendering, will search the Martian surfacefor signs of life that may have existed before the Red Planet became cold anddry.
Attendees had a chance to get up close and personal with everything frommeteorites to rocks from Mars.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Entry for the LEGO rover-building contest
Photo by Tyler Rudick

"Everybody take a deep breath," NASA's John Connolly said from a temporary stage at Space Center Houston early Monday morning. "The seven minutes of terror starts . . . now."

The crowd of more than 1,000 Mars fanatics scrambled to their seats in the food court to watch live feeds of the control room inside the Jet Propulsion Lab at the California Institute of Technology as the Curiosity rover began its precarious descent towards the Red Planet.

John Connolly from NASA marked a new era for the U.S. space program with a single word — "touchdown" — as a miniature model of Curiosity gently dropped from the ceiling.

Minutes later, Connolly marked a new era for the U.S. space program with a single word — "touchdown." During an eruption of applause, a miniature model of Curiosity gently dropped from the ceiling as a smoke machine switched into gear. Blue lights flashed while the Kanye West song, "Spaceship," played.

For an evening family event scheduled until 2 a.m., Space Center Houston's "Seven Minutes of Terror" party was bumping with space fans ranging from first graders to octogenarian NASA retirees. There were rocks from Mars, remote-controlled rover races, LEGO contests, Martian bingo, pieces of meteorites and, not one, but two astronauts in attendance.

"There's an amazing mix of families and devoted science fans here tonight," said Ken Harms, an associate with Space Center's education department. "I'm excited to be a part of it."

But before word of the landing worked its way to major news outlets last week, some at the popular museum complex worried that widespread public misconceptions about NASA's future — mainly, that the cancelled shuttle program spelled the organization's demise — were taking a toll.

"We were only up to about 500 sold tickets a few days ago, but since Friday and Saturday sales skyrocketed," said operations leader Andrew Vargas.

"I think the Mars landing shows people that NASA's still alive," said Space Center Houston's Andrew Vargas. "The space shuttle program closed, but there's a whole new chapter up ahead."

"This is easily one of the biggest events we've had here. I think the Mars landing shows people that NASA's still alive. The space shuttle program closed, but there's a whole new chapter up ahead."

While Connolly noted that clear color images won't be available for several more days, an early test picture was beamed back to Earth showing the wheel of rover in front of a Martian horizon.

"Unfortunately, the really cool stuff won't start happening for a few more days," he reminded the audience as many in the crowd began to line up for a celebratory pancake breakfast, compliments of McDonalds.

Throughout the week, researchers at the California Institute of Technology will assess the condition of the one-ton rover after its nine-month journey from Cape Canaveral.

Once cleared by technicians, Curiosity will make its way across the arid landscape looking for signs of life that may have existed when the planet was warmer and maintained a degree of water.

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Flood Relief News

Houston company gives back with free cleanings for Hill County families

Photo courtesy of Cotton Holdings

Cotton Holdings Restoration Station team helping residents in Central Texas.

Cotton Holdings, a Houston-based disaster relief company, has been on the ground daily in Central Texas since the July 4 floods, clearing debris and cleaning up spaces. The company has deployed two "Restoration Station" vans, fully equipped with cleaning teams and professional-grade supplies, to help people recover and preserve their belongings.

For residents of Kerrville, Hunt, and Comfort, this service is being offered free of charge through July 19.

Residents in these areas can schedule a free two-hour appointment to have family heirlooms, jewelry, collectibles, or other keepsakes and valuables that may have been damaged by the floods professionally cleaned and restored.

The website notes that Cotton Holdings is currently only accepting "hard, nonporous items," and recommends throwing away soft belongings that were damaged in the floods. Some of the items they'll accept include:

Wood furniture
Sculptures
Mirrors
Jewelry
Dinnerware
Musical instruments
TVs
Gaming devices

Cotton Holdings item cleaning Most items can be cleaned within 15 minutes, a press release says.Photo courtesy of Cotton Holdings

Each home visit includes two hours of cleaning, plus a dedicated team member to offer emotional support, according to a press release.

"This effort aims to preserve treasured memories and renew hope within the community during this challenging time," says the release.

Aside from its work in Central Texas, Cotton Holdings has been at the forefront of disaster relief across the country since its founding in 1996. They've recently helped residents in the California wildfires and in Asheville, North Carolina, post-Hurricane Helene.

natural disaster charity free